Some of America’s Infrastructure has Made in China Stamped on it?

With unemployment in California at 11.9% why on earth would they want to “outsource” the easiest jobs that can be created – construction jobs? The U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had assured people in the U.S. that everything to do with all these infrastructure projects will be built using American Made products. Why is China building a section of the eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge?

$400 million dollars cheaper is why. California officials estimate that they will save at least $400 million by having so much of the work done in China. California issued bonds to finance the project, and will look to recoup the cost through tolls.

It turns out that China is getting lots of work here in the U.S. in New York City alone, Chinese companies have won contracts to help renovate the subway system, refurbish the Alexander Hamilton Bridge over the Harlem River and build a new Metro-North train platform near Yankee Stadium.

I sure hope with all these infrastructure projects that China is involved in are made better than “most” made in China products that I have ever seen – can you say CHEAP? I worked for years on a farm that my dad owns, I know how “cheap-made” China’s products are, same goes for Mexico. This is a major problem here in the U.S., it’s why the nation’s unemployment rate is a 9% average or more.

I may complain a lot about all this money being basically wasted on different things. But I am going to complain more when my tax money is going for things that we can make here in the U.S. that would give jobs to American workers. I think everyone would agree that if our tax money is going to be spent – then it needs to be spent in America – not another country.

When you look at the entire picture we will be losing more than construction jobs on this “China made” California bridge. It has to be transported from China by a Chinese boat and fuel for the boat will be from China. I could go on listing several things that America has lost by California outsourcing the construction of this bridge – but I won’t I think you get the picture.

Zhenhua the Chinese company building the bridge put 3,000 employees to work on the project: steel-cutters, welders, polishers and engineers. The company built the main bridge tower, which was shipped in mid-2009, and a total of 28 bridge decks — the massive triangular steel structures that will serve as the roadway platform. That is not all – to ensure the bridge meets safety standards, 250 employees and consultants working for the state of California and American Bridge/Fluor also took up residence in Shanghai.

We here in the United States must really owe China a lot of money. It is bad enough that we borrow money from China to give to other country’s – that sometimes don’t even like us – but we are giving them our jobs too! This needs to stop, I know we can build and manufacture these products here in the U.S. – it may be a little higher – but the quality is much better – and plus the money stays in this country.